Business cards are no longer simply something to dish out to your connections with your contact details on them, they are modernizing as technology develops, and now are an important marketing tool when it comes to getting new business leads. They are becoming increasingly important – so if you have a business card that truly stands out, there is more chance of you turning that contact into a potential business. In 2018 there are some upcoming trends to look out for that could enhance your business card.
Quality Materials
Remember your business card could be the first thing that people see when they think of your brand – so it’s important that you create the best first impression not only when it comes to the design, but the materials used. When looking at business card printing options – make sure you have a look at all of the different variations there are in terms of a type of finish and quality of the paper. There is never a massive distinction when it comes to a price which people often see as a barrier, so it’s always a better idea to spend just a little more to have a better end product.
Simplicity in Terms of Design
It shouldn’t be difficult for someone to find your contact details when they look at your business card, it is something that should be in full view and easy to read. Every business card will have contact details on there such as email address, phone number etc – and it’s up to the graphic designer to make sure that it’s delivered with simplicity. The trend here is the minimalist approach in terms of contact information.
Display your Brand Message
Branding is important, it’s what people will remember your company by – so a business card is a perfect tool to showcase this, especially if you have spent a lot of time and money getting your brand to the way you want it. It’s essential that your prospective clients get your brand message. As well as featuring your logo – your business card should also be consistent in terms of featuring your company colors, and any straplines you may have. A hot 2018 trend for designers has been to spread the company colors out and to keep it sophisticated.
Large Typeface
This is a trend that’s dominating 2018. Designers are opting to go for bigger typefaces’ as they feel that this is more likely to draw attention to the company name and strapline. They usually are emboldened with a single color (again in keeping with the simplicity theme) – which gives the design a unique look and feel. It’s important however that you use the same typeface across other marketing materials for consistency, so make sure that any leaflets, brochures etc match.
Clever Puns and Witty Lines
We all like to be unique, and people buy into people as well as design – so it’s a good idea to inject some personality into your business card if possible. Include something clever. Something like puns can be the engaging content needed to provoke an action from someone casually looking at your business card. You can be creative with a play on words when it comes to your company name, or a service you are pushing. Words, as well as images, evoke a reaction so it’s important to make use of them.
Interactive Business Cards
This is still being experimented on, and we have seen lots of examples of designers playing around with interactive business cards. This effectively is the ultimate personalized business card, but it is important that you don’t add too much to it to distract the user from what they are supposed to do. What you don’t want is for them to spend too much time playing with the business card and not contacting you about what you are offering.
Painted Edges
These look the part and are becoming more popular in 2018 than ever before. You may have seen them floating around whilst networking. Business cards with painted edges effectively have a line of color on the rim of the card. As long as this is implemented by your designer effectively (i.e – they have used the pantones that fit in with your brand) – then this can look incredibly professional and sophisticated.
As you can see 2018 will be a big year in terms of the evolution of business cards. Whether it’s doing something seen as fairly basic like simplifying your message, or something more innovative like an interactive business card – there are lots of options for you. We hope you all get yourself some trendy business cards.
